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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Red Fang Heads to El Club with Whores and Torche

This FridayBlack Iris Booking is bringing one of the most bad ass lineups of the year to town! Red Fang will be hitting the stage at El Club along with Torche and Whores. The three bands have been selling out shows and packing venues across the US for a few weeks now, right after Red Fang returned from a European tour. Red Fang released their latest full length Only Ghosts back in October on Relapse Records. Check out the music video for their song "Shadows" off the new album.

We were lucky enough to have a chance to chat with Red Fang's super awesome drummer John Sherman a couple weeks ago. Here's what he had to say about the new album, touring, and Friday night's show!

HID- So, how was Europe?John Sherman- "Europe was amazing!"

HID- Is it different playing shows in Europe compared to the US?JS- "Well the scenery is much nicer. There are less gross strip malls and fast food joints lining the highways and way more castles and old school windmills and the like. But the shows aren't so different. Sometimes it seems Europeans have a greater passion for live music and a greater appreciation for the arts in general compared to Americans. But then we play a show like we did the other night at Slim's in SF where the whole crowd was going bananas from the first note of Whores. set until the last note of ours and I see just as passion in my American brothers and sisters. So I guess it's really not so different."

HID- You guys just released your latest album "Only Ghosts" and by now most of your fans have probably picked it up or at least given it a listen. Do you have a favorite song(s) on the album?JS- "It changes all the time, but my favorite song to play live right now is "No Air". It's kind of a weird one because the timing is a little tricky, and that's always fun. I think my favorite one to listen to at the moment is "I am a Ghost" because it's so different from anything we've ever done. And it has a weird little section where the kick drum drops out and it's super satisfying when it returns."

HID- You recorded this with Ross Robinson, he has recorded some pretty epic bands and now Red Fang can be added to that list. How was it working with Ross?JS- "Ross is amazing. We just stayed with him at his house last night actually, after our show in LA. We recorded in his home studio and lived there the whole time, so there was no escape. No going home and sleeping in your own bed at the end of the day. We were fully immersed in this record and it was awesome. Ross has a way of getting you to open up completely and be totally honest about the music. It's hard to explain, but basically there was zero bullshit going on. Only Ghosts is the most honest recording I've ever been a part of. Ross is also kind of like a musical wizard. His ears have magical eyes that see things other people can't see."

HID- How long did you work on this album? Both recording it and writing it?JS- "We wrote whenever we could between tours over a year or so and really focused for the 3 months before we went to Ross'. Then we spent a month in the studio re-writing and recording. And then Joe Barresi spent a couple weeks mixing it."

HID- Now you're ready to head out on tour with Whores and Torche. What are you looking forward to the most about this tour?JS- "This is a dream bill for us. We've toured with Whores before and love them as a band and as people, and we just spent a month in Europe sharing a bus with Torche and feel the same about them, so this tour is gonna be epic. The thought of seeing both Torche and Whores every night puts a big smile across my face."

HID- You guys seem like pretty fun dudes. What's your favorite part about touring?JS- "My favorite part of touring is running into all the great friends we've made over the years. And eating regional delicacies like burritos in SF and BBQ in NC. And pizza wherever I can find it. And pho. Lots of pho."

HID- Tell us about this coloring contest. Where did you come up with the idea? Do you find coloring to be a good way to relieve stress, like all of these infomercials claim?JS- "I'm not sure where that idea came from, but I like it! Our pal Tim Root drew the page and I think it looks amazing. We figured it could be a fun, creative way to get fans involved and get people talking about the record and the tour. I think coloring can be a relaxing activity, for sure! Unless you obsess over staying in the lines and freak out about every little "mistake." Then you're screwed."

HID- Ok, so back to the tour. Are there any cities that you're especially looking forward to on this tour?JS- "Well, Detroit, of course, duh! We always have a blast in Detroit and don't get to play there as often as we'd like. I'm sure this show will be a rager."

HID- You guys are on the road a lot. How do you survive life on the road?JS- "Try to eat healthy when you can, because all those regional delicacies add up and slow you down! We read lots of books and play lots of Words With Friends to pass the time on long drives. We try to get out and walk around exploring cities when we can, although sometimes there no time and all we see is the inside of a rock club and then we're off to the next town."

HID- Anything else you would like our readers to know?JS- "Don't be afraid to let your hair down and have a good time. Let's party on December 9th!"

Tickets to see Red Fang at El Club are $22 in advance and can be purchased here. Thanks to Black Iris Booking we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show! If you would like to enter to win those tickets, send your name over to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #RedFang in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Friday morning and they will get to attend the show with a friend for free.

Doors are set to open early, at 5 p.m. on Friday, with the show starting at 8. As always, all ages are welcome at El CLub.